Comments

If this bill passes -- and it will -- there is already an effort starting to get signatures and bring it to a referendum. It affects women, unmarried couples, racial and ethnic minorities, gays ........... anyone who a bigot can cite as "immoral" or "wrong" based on something in the Bible.

This is exactly what the Republicans want to do if they control the US Senate and House after the 2014 elections. This is exactly what the Supreme Court is going to decide in terms of Obamacare -- do "businesses" have religious rights that allow them to avoid abiding by various non-discrimination laws.

Posted by: MiddleoftheRoader | Feb 20, 2014 5:51:32 PM

They will be a laughing stock if it passes. First of all, it's clearly unconstitutional. They need to read the SCOTUS decision in Romer v. Evans:

"We must conclude that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws. Amendment 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado is affirmed."

Posted by: Gerry | Feb 20, 2014 5:52:59 PM

The bill does not include any language that targets a group of people, but attempts to allow refusal of action under "free exercise of religion."

But, you know, cue slippery slope arguments starting right now.

Posted by: Latebrosus | Feb 20, 2014 5:56:22 PM

What would Jesus do?

He'd have absolutely nothing to do with gay people ofcourse. Remember what He taught us about "Hate thy neighbor"?

Posted by: Clement | Feb 20, 2014 6:05:29 PM

Laterbrosus -- you are right. The bill does NOT single out gay people, so the Romer case does not apply.

Everyone in the US, especially everyone outside of Arizona, must act together to penalize Arizona.

Move the 2015 Super Bowl out of Arizona.

Posted by: MiddleoftheRoader | Feb 20, 2014 6:22:53 PM

i just tuned it.
a member was speaking in favor of it, and then there was a vote and in passed.
did that just happen?
i was only watching for two minutes!

Posted by: woody | Feb 20, 2014 6:23:00 PM

That's why any gay republican should be treated like a nazi collaborator!

'Free exercise of religion' is not defined. That in and of itself is the slippery slope. What tenets do you get to claim and what tenets do you get to ignore?

I'm willing to have this fight. It's time. Separation of church & state is as much about freedom from religion as it is about freedom of religion.

Does claiming religion allow ANYONE in the public sector to discriminate and claim religion as the default? Businesses? Government? Police? Doctors?

It's been pointed out many times that this bill is fraught with problems. What if an employee wants to discriminate? Can they not be hired/fired if they want to discriminate based on an undefined religious view? What if they claim religion after being hired? What if the discrimination is religious?
Or racial? Or against women?

Christians just turn the other cheek; but that doesn't prevent them from burning humans.

Nice.
So yeah, let them go on discriminating.... haven't they been doing that for centuries;

Heretics to the left;
Jews to the lets;
Conversos to the left;
Cathars to the left;
Witches and old deluded women to the left;
Huss, Zwingli, Luther,Tyndal,........anyone who disagrees....excommunicated.

So yeah give religious discrimination the proper respect and rights to burn that it deserves and has always exercised against the harmless and the defenceless. and politicians support these human sacrifice cults of Catholics and Evangelicals.....
Keep it up !

These legislators are contemptible.

Posted by: JackFknTwist | Feb 20, 2014 7:05:16 PM

Religious freedom is about practicing your religion freely. It's not about using your business, which is state sanctioned and under certain guidelines, to hate gay people.

;_; why cant they just die?

Posted by: ggrr | Feb 20, 2014 7:12:21 PM

"Free exercise of religion" is exactly what turned the Christian Church into a human burning institution, in the French inquisition against the Albigensians, the Spanish Inquisition against the Jews (conversos), the witchcraft craze, and even allowed the Papal Bull of 1252, "De Extirpenda" in which the Pope expressly authorised the inquisitors to torture.

"Free exercise of religion " has given rise to crimes against humanity which even now demand retribution.
And free exercise of religion is about to reach it apotheosis in Nigeria, Uganda and that mosquito coast hole.

Posted by: JackFknTwist | Feb 20, 2014 7:23:25 PM

In the 9th Circuit, a law like this won't last long.

Posted by: Randy | Feb 20, 2014 7:24:56 PM

Now where's GOProud on this ?

Posted by: JackFknTwist | Feb 20, 2014 7:35:24 PM

Who's religion and what religious beliefs? Anybody can claim any tenet as their religion. I can make a new one up today. This is one of the reasons there is no state religion in this country, why our legal system supports the separation of church of state, and why there is both freedom of religion and freedom from religion. This is probably one of the most unAmerican laws put forth I've ever heard of.

Posted by: Fox | Feb 20, 2014 8:23:40 PM

Companies with socially progressive policies could cease or wind back expansion efforts in Arizona. That includes most if not all of the major technology companies.

Brewer may veto the bill on that basis alone, although I'm not holding my breath.

The other point to consider is that once the dust settles on the legal challenges there could be a rash of court decisions including a U.S. Supreme Court decision that actually strengthens the rights of LGBT people. Be careful, bigots, about the unintended consequences of your actions.

Posted by: Drew | Feb 20, 2014 8:23:45 PM

Queue the federal lawsuit in 5, 4, 3 ...

Posted by: Zlick | Feb 20, 2014 8:26:48 PM

Time for every business, every hotel, every convention, every sports team, everything involving sane human beings to boycott this state run by hateful bigots. What next? A return to the time when many hotels and restaurants and businesses had signs outside "Jews and Dogs Not Allowed

Posted by: Sandyone | Feb 20, 2014 8:50:28 PM

This will most certainly drive businesses that actually make money out of Arizona and then that state can go back to the 14th century where they belong. They will be hurting themselves in ways that they are obviously to ignorant to understand. Let this happen, sit back and enjoy.